Hatters CEO reveals Luton are aiming to take 'unique culture' of Kenilworth Road to new stadium at Power Court

Luton chief executive Gary Sweet has revealed that the club are doing their utmost to incorporate the ‘unique culture’ of Kenilworth Road into their new stadium at Power Court.

With the Hatters preparing to submit a detailed application for the 17,500 ground, of which they already have planning permission for, in the first half of next year, a number of specialist consultants attended last night’s game against Middlesbrough to get a feel of the place Town supporters have called home for over 115 years.

Writing in his programme notes ahead of the 3-1, Sweet said: “As we clear another hurdle, the significance of our work on the stadium becomes starkly more permanent, week-by-week.

“Complex technical decisions are now being made that simply can’t be reversed as we step-up the intensity in our design process.

“Indeed, for our game tonight, I’m delighted to be able to welcome over a dozen of our specialist consultants (covering stadium architects, quantity surveyors, structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, and landscape architects) who are observing the match, scattered around the stands, so they can absorb that fundamental sensation of what it’s like to be a part of this incredible, unique culture we have in Luton and at Kenilworth Road (warts and all).

“It’s essential that everyone working on this particular project goes much further than to merely understand ‘the client’.

“Our new stadium simply must be a design masterpiece which will possess the opportunity to elevate an entire town whilst safeguarding the unique intimacy of what we have and what we need to protect. It’s a very narrow juxtaposition where failure isn’t an option.

“To rise to this, each and every specialist who contributes has no option but to ‘feel the vibe’ and to become (temporarily or perhaps even permanently) ‘Utopian/Lutonian’.”

Sweet was penning his comments just under a week after Luton Council’s development control committee voted unanimously to approve the modifications to the existing outline Power Court consent.

Although it didn’t include plans for the actual stadium, Sweet continued: “This was a revised outline planning application to our existing consent, already received for Power Court in 2019.

“The revisions were necessary due to the consequences of the enormous upheaval we’ve all had to endure over the last couple of years which has altered (and will continue to adapt) the way we all think and live.

“This, in turn, has led to us to reconsider how people will travel to the site, how it will be used, who will live here, what usages will be needed, how those facilities will be used and how we can viably and sustainably build it all.

"The new consented application now includes an increase in residential dwellings to be situated either side of a pedestrian open space which sees the River Lea opened-up, running on its natural course through the site and a number of changes to commercial, retail and hospitality operations.

“The submission, however, excluded the central area of the site which houses the stadium and, whilst this method was questioned, it was done so as a very positive intention.

"This is because we are ahead of the game on the stadium and didn’t feel we needed another outline review as, for some months now, we have been preparing to enter the detailed design phase which will see us come forward with the detailed planning application for the stadium (along with the first phase of residential) in or before the second quarter of next year.

"None of this could’ve happened if this week’s application wasn’t approved.”

Meanwhile, Sweet was happy with the robust manner in which both and chief operating officer of 2020 Developments Mike Moran were taken to task about the plans by the councillors in attendance.

He added: “A number of people have expressed surprise at the weight of challenge in questioning Michael and I received on the night, given the length of time Luton has been waiting for Power Court, as a vital town-centre brownfield site, to be redeveloped and given the much-needed inward investment our town centre desperately needs.

"It’s worth noting here that it’s absolutely correct that Councillors – especially a member of the development control committee – have the right to challenge anything in any planning application and they were completely right to do so on Wednesday.

“We are always happy to invite any challenging questions from those who carry such authority (and even from many that don’t).

"Indeed, we welcome it because we have total confidence in what we’re doing – we are confident this scheme will bring a significant positive impact and prosperity to our town.

"We have confidence in our commitment to see it through entirely, and we have confidence in our ability to fund and deliver it all.”